Filling system

ABSTRACT

Filling system for filling bottles or similar containers with a liquid consisting of a main component and at least one additional component, said system comprising a plurality of filling elements in which the additional component(s) is/are supplied controlled quantities via at least one mixing line per filling element in order to be mixed with the main component in the filling element.

The invention relates to a filling system for filling bottles or other containers with a liquid filling material consisting of a mixture of a main component and at least one additional component, wherein, with a filling material in the form of a beverage, the main component is for example water and the at least one additional component is at least a flavouring.

In production installations of the beverages industry at least, the main component is usually mixed with at least one additional component in a mixing installation which is separate from the filling machine and from which the finished filling material or mixed product is delivered to the filling machine.

There have been previous proposals for the mixing of at least one main component and at least one additional component to be effected during the filling of the containers, i.e. at the particular filling element and/or in the container itself, with the at least one main component and the at least one additional component being delivered to the particular filling element in the quantity that is necessary for the mixing ratio.

The object of the invention is to provide a filling system which with a simplified design embodiment allows a mixing of the main component and the at least one additional component at the particular filling element in a precisely proportioned and repeatable manner.

A filling system according to patent claim 1 is configured to resolve this object.

The first fundamental advantage of the inventive filling system is that in a production installation in which the inventive filling system or a corresponding filling machine is used, no separate mixing installation is needed to mix the product from the main component and the at least one additional component. However the invention also has the advantage of a repeatable precisely proportioned addition of the at least one additional component to the main component through the fact that the addition or admixture of the at least one additional component is effected during filling by a proportioning pump dedicated to each filling element and preferably by a controllable control valve. In order to simplify the design, at least two proportioning pumps driven by a common motor together form one proportioning unit for example, with each proportioning unit then being assigned a filling element group in which the number of filling elements equals the number of proportioning pumps in the associated proportioning unit, and each filling element being connected by a mixing line and preferably by a control valve to the outlet of a proportioning pump that is discretely assigned to that filling element.

In one embodiment of the invention, at least two, for example three proportioning pumps driven by a common motor together form a proportioning unit, with each filling element of the filling system being assigned such a proportioning unit which, or whose outlet, is connected by a mixing line to the filling element. Under the control of control valves, the outlet of the proportioning unit can be connected to the outlet of optionally one or more of its proportioning pumps so that in this embodiment too, the proportioned addition of the at least one additional component to each filling element is effected by a discrete proportioning pump but it is still possible by appropriate triggering of the control valves to add different additional components or combinations of such additional components to the main component.

To avoid proportioning errors or proportioning inaccuracies in a startup phase of the proportioning pump, the proportioning devices are preferably operated in such a way that during the filling operation the proportioning pumps are always driven by the particular motor assigned to multiple proportioning pumps at constant speed and/or delivery rate, and the proportioned delivery of the at least one additional component is effected by opening the normally closed control valve over a time window within which, having regard to the delivery rate of the proportioning pumps, the quantity of the at least one additional component required for admixing is delivered to the related filling element. The proportioning of the additional component can be adjusted by altering the time window and/or by changing the delivery rate of the proportioning pumps or the speed of their drive motors.

Further embodiments, advantages and possible applications of the invention arise out of the following description of embodiments and out of the figures. All of the described and/or pictorially represented attributes, whether alone or in any desired combination, are fundamentally the subject matter of the invention independently of their synopsis in the claims or a retroactive application thereof. The content of the claims is also made an integral part of the description.

The invention is explained below in greater detail by reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 which illustrate three filling elements of a filling system in simplified representation.

The filling system generally indicated by 1 in FIG. 1 is part of a filling machine, for example of a rotary filling machine for filling bottles 2 with a liquid filling material in the form of a mixture of a main component K1 and a further component or additional component K2, with the main component being for example water, e.g. carbonated water, and the additional component K2 for example a flavouring.

Filling system 1 or the filling machine which exhibits this filling system possesses, on the periphery of a rotor that can be driven to rotate about a vertical machine axis, a plurality of filling elements 4. In FIG. 1, filling elements 4 provided at different angular positions I-III of rotor 3 are shown adjacent to one another for the sake of simplicity. In reality however, like all other filling elements of filling system 1 or of the filling machine, these filling elements are disposed on the periphery of the common circular or annular rotor 3 in the manner known to the person skilled in the art.

On rotor 3 each filling element 4 is assigned a container support 5 on which, during filling, the particular bottle is held suspended on a flange 2.2 (neck ring) integrally moulded below bottle mouth 2.1, so as to permit an open jet filling which takes the form that bottle mouth 2.1 is at a distance from the underside of filling element 4 concerned or from a delivery opening 6 formed at that location and through which, during filling, the liquid filling material flows to the particular bottle 2 as an open jet of filling material 7.

Inside a filling element housing 8 is configured in each filling element 4 a liquid channel 8 which forms delivery opening 6 on the underside of filling element 4 and which in the region of the top of filling element 4 or of filling element housing 8 is connected by a line 10 incorporating flowmeter 11 to a boiler 12 which is disposed on rotor 3 and is common to all filling elements 4 of the filling machine. During filling operations said boiler 12 is partially filled with the liquid filling material so that a lower liquid space 12.1 occupied by the filling material and with a gas space 12.2 above it is formed inside boiler 12. In liquid channel 9 there is provided a liquid valve 13 which at the start of filling is opened by an actuating device 14 and which, when the quantity of filling material filled in the particular bottle 2 is reached, is closed again by actuating device 14 in a controlled manner through the measuring signal from flowmeter 11.

The particularity of filling system 1 is that the mixing of the two components K1 and K2 takes place during the filling process, i.e. inside filling material jet 5 and possibly also inside the particular bottle 2. For this purpose each filling element 4 is connected by a proportioning or mixing line 15 to an outlet of a proportioning device 16, with each proportioning unit 16 being assigned to a group of multiple filling elements 4, in the case of filling system 1 shown in FIG. 1 for example, to three filling elements 4 or to the filling positions formed by them.

Each mixing line 15 discharges centrally at delivery opening 6 of associated filling element 4 and hence centrally at a gas seal 17 which is provided at the particular delivery opening 6 or which forms said delivery opening 6, said gas seal 17 being formed in a manner that is in itself known by way of an insert with a large number of penetrating channels.

Each proportioning device has a separate proportioning pump 18 for each mixing line 15. All proportioning pumps 18 of proportioning unit 16 are driven by a common electric motor 19. Proportioning pumps 18 are configured so that by varying the speed of rotor 19 the delivery rate of proportioning pump 18, i.e. the quantity of component K2 which during the filling process and during activated proportioning unit 16 [sic] is pumped through mixing line 15 to the particular filling element to be added to component K1 in liquid jet 7 at filling element 4, i.e. when liquid valve 13 is open, can be adjusted in a finely proportioned manner. At the discharge of each proportioning pump 18 is provided a control valve 20 with which the proportioning of component K2 is effected in the manner described below. Proportioning unit 16 is also connected to a line 21 for delivering component K2.

The essential advantage of filling system 1 is that the mixing of components K1 and K2, i.e. the mixing of the particular product, takes place during filling, i.e. with liquid valve 13 open at filling element 4, or inside liquid jet 7 and if necessary even inside bottle 2, such that the production installation comprising the filling machine with filling system 1 does not require a mixing installation to mix components K1 and K2.

Proportioning units 16 and the proportioned delivery of additional component K2 by said units can be controlled in many different ways, for example by varying the delivery rate of proportioning pumps 18 and at the same time for example varying the speed of the particular motor 19 and/or by controlling the opening times of control valves 20 accordingly. Preferentially, the proportioned delivery of component K2 is effected for example such that while proportioning pumps 18 are being driven steadily and continuously, the normally closed control valves 20 are opened—for the proportioned admixing of component K2—over a time window within which a quantity of component K2 corresponding to the delivery rate of proportioning pumps 18 is then introduced into the particular mixing line 15 and so added to liquid jet 7 at associated filling element 4.

To simplify the triggering of individual proportioning units 16, proportioning unit 16 assigned to each group of filling elements 4 is activated for example in common for all filling elements in that group. It goes without saying that the particular proportioning unit 16 is only activated for the proportioned delivery of component K2 during the filling phase. Control valves 20 are preferably not simultaneously activated until liquid valves 13 of all filling elements 4 assigned to proportioning device 16 are open, and with a time delay such that control valves 20 of each proportioning unit 16 are not opened until a certain quantity of component K1 has already been filled in each bottle 2 of the group of filling elements to which this proportioning unit 16 is assigned.

In a representation similar to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 shows as a further embodiment three filling elements 4 of a filling system which exhibits a plurality of such filling elements.

Unlike in filling system 1, each filling element 4 in filling system 1 a is assigned a dedicated proportioning device 16 a which allows for example an optional addition of multiple components, i.e. in the embodiment shown, of three components K2.1, K2.2 and K2.3 to main component K1 at the particular filling element 4 or in liquid jet 7. Otherwise filling system 1 a is the same as filling system 1, especially as regards the configuration of filling elements 4 and the open jet filling of bottles 2. To assist an understanding of the explanation and graphic representation, filling elements 4 provided at different angular positions I - Ill of rotor 3 are again illustrated as being horizontally adjacent to one another, but are in reality provided around the periphery of common rotor 3.

A common variable-speed motor 19 is again provided for proportioning pumps 18 of each proportioning unit 16 a. Each proportioning unit 16 a is connected to three lines 21 for the separate delivery of components K2.1, K2.2 and K2.3, and is connected by a single mixing line 15 and a control valve 20 to associated filling element 4. In order to add a component K2.1, K2.2 and K2.3 to main component K1 during filling, control valve 20 that is assigned respectively to component K2.1, K2.2 and K2.3 is opened. The remaining control valves 20 are closed.

For purging mixing line 15 there is provided additionally to control valves 20 a control valve 22 by which mixing line 15 can be purged for example with component K1 or with another beverage-neutral fluid, for example with a gaseous or vapour fluid, e.g. with sterile air or an inert gas (CO₂ gas or nitrogen), in order to remove from mixing line 15 remnants of that component K2.1.K2.2, K2.3 which was added to main component K1 before the purging. Although control valve 22 with associated purging line 22.1 is only shown for one proportioning unit 16 a in FIG. 2 for the sake of greater clarity, each proportioning unit 16 a actually exhibits control valve 22 with the associated purging line.

Filling system 1 a makes it possible to add one or more of components K2.1-K2.3 during the filling of main component K1 and to change the filling machine over from one product consisting of main component K1 and one or more additional components K2.1-K2.3 to a product consisting of the main component and a different additional component, with mixing line 15 of each filling element 4 being purged by opening control valve 22 before said changeover in any event. Mixing lines 15 are purged for example at each beginning or each end of production, i.e. at the beginning of the filling of a product batch or and/or at the end of the filling of a product batch, or for example at the end of each filling phase, i.e. at the end of the filling of a bottle 2, so that repeatable conditions exist at each filling element at the beginning of a new filling phase, i.e. when a further bottle 2 is filled.

The invention has been described hereinbefore by reference to embodiments. It goes without saying that variations as well as modifications are possible without departing from the inventive concept underlying the invention. In particular, the system can also be used analogously for pressurised filling.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS 1, 1 a Filling System 2 Bottle

2.1 Bottle mouth

2.2 Flange 3 Rotor

4 Filling element 5 Container support 6 Delivery opening

7 Liquid jet

8 Filling element housing 9 Liquid channel 10 Product line 11 Flow meter 12 Boiler for the main component K 1 12.1 Liquid space 12.2 Gas space 13 Liquid valve 14 Actuating element 15 Mixing line 16, 16 a Proportioning unit 18 Gas seal 18 Proportioning pump 19 Pump motor 20 Control valve 21 Line for the additional component 22 Control valve 22.1 Purging line K1 Main component K2, K2.1-K2.3 Additional or flavouring component I,II,II Angular position of filling elements 4 at rotor 3 

1.-11. (canceled)
 12. An apparatus for filling containers with a liquid filling material that includes a main component and at least one additional component, said apparatus comprising: a filling system, said filling system including a proportioning unit including at least two proportioning pumps; a common motor for driving the at least two proportioning pumps, said common motor having a variable speed; a plurality of filling elements; and a plurality of mixing lines for delivering the at least one additional component to the filling elements in correct proportion; each mixing line being connected to an outlet of the proportioning unit.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the filling elements are configured for admixing the additional component of the liquid filling material to the main component of the liquid filling material, and wherein said filling elements are configured in a region of a delivery opening through which the liquid filling material flows into a container.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the filling elements are configured for admixing the additional component of the liquid filling material to the main component of the liquid filling material in a liquid jet that flows into the container during filling of the container.
 15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a control valve disposed to control flow from a proportioning pump to a mixing line.
 16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the proportioning unit comprises at least three proportioning pumps, the three pumps being driven by the common motor.
 17. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of proportioning units, each of said proportioning units being assigned to a group of filling elements, wherein the number of filling elements in each group of filling elements assigned to a particular proportioning unit is equal to the number of proportioning pumps in the particular proportioning unit.
 18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the proportional pumps are connected to a common line for delivery of an additional component of the liquid filling material.
 19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each filling element is assigned to a proportioning unit having a plurality of proportioning pumps, the apparatus further comprising a first control valve for connecting a proportioning pump to an outlet of the proportioning unit,
 20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each proportioning pump is connected to a separate line for the delivery of an additional component of the liquid filling material.
 21. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising at least one second control valve for controlled purging of at least one of the plurality of mixing lines with a fluid.
 22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one second control valve is disposed on an outlet of the proportioning unit.
 23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one second control valve is disposed on the at least one of the plurality of mixing lines.
 24. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the proportioning unit is configured for proportional delivery of the at least one additional component by varying a delivery rate of the proportioning pumps.
 25. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the proportioning unit is configured for proportional delivery of the at least one additional component by varying the speed of the common motor.
 26. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the proportioning unit is configured for proportional delivery of the at least one additional component by controlling an opening time of a control valve between a mixing line and a corresponding proportioning pump.
 27. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a rotor that can be driven to rotate about a vertical machine axis, wherein said filling elements are disposed on said rotor.
 28. An apparatus for filling containers with a liquid filling material that includes a main component and at least one additional component, said apparatus comprising: a rotor configured to rotate about a machine axis; a plurality of filling systems disposed on said rotor, each of said filling systems including: a plurality of filling elements; a plurality of mixing lines for delivering the at least one additional component to the filling elements in correct proportion; and means for introducing said at least one additional component into said mixing lines in correct proportion for delivery to the filling elements. 